Butchering the New Year's pig was a major event. One had to pick an auspicious day—avoiding the taboo ones for butchering—and invite plenty of help. Bai Xiulan, for her part, wasn't nearly as casual about these customs as her daughter.
Once the helpers were invited and the plans were set, she enlisted her sister-in-law the day before the butchering. Together, they stayed home and chopped pickled cabbage, filling two entire basins.
After the cabbage was chopped, she prepared the table, ropes, and basins for collecting the blood—everything needed for the butchering. The next morning, she was up bright and early.
When the time came, the invited helpers arrived. With about ten people showing up all at once, the massive, three-hundred-jin-plus pig was hoisted onto the butchering table.
They slit it open.
The backfat was three fingers thick.
